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28.3.07

Liverpool could share their brand new stadium with Everton

Indeed, the American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who on Monday announced that they had secured the 98.6 per cent of the club's shares they needed to compulsorily purchase the remainder, want to make Liverpool's new Stanley Park stadium even bigger than the planned 60,000-capacity. However, in order to reach that objective, they will need council permission.

Anfield's team have always ruled out sharing with Everton but the city council leader, Warren Bradley, wants them to reconsider.

"Are you telling me a commercial business in America doesn't sweat the asset? They sweat that asset until they can't get any more out of it. I think that if they can consider increasing the stadium size, why can't they consider a shared new stadium?"

And Everton are pondering a move to a site outside Liverpool in Kirby but Bradley - a Blues season-ticket holder - believes Goodison Park could be redeveloped. "I think maybe in a few years' time they'll be playing in a new stadium and I think it will be in Liverpool. I would be happy with a joint stadium, I've got to be honest, even if my gut feeling is probably not."

And he also said: "I don't see any reason why Goodison Park cannot be redeveloped. You could quite easily fit an additional footprint and some commercial activity - a hotel, for example - into a new development."